This week’s lesson comes from PGA Professional Wayne O’Callaghan at his academy in Fernhill Golf Club, Carrigaline Cork. info@wayneocallaghangolf.com, www.fernhillcountryclub.com.

In recent years technology which was originally researched and developed for the medical field has been assimilated into the golf coaching world. This technology is providing a new way of looking at the swing and to highlight elements that were once invisible to the naked eye.

Technology which was first designed to aid analysis of the foot, its shape and how it operates when walking is now one of my key teaching aids. I use a force plate system from Swingia. There are many elements in this system which can help us understand what the eye cannot see but one aspect I will focus here is Ground Force.

Picture a person jumping up and down on a weighing scales. For a split second on landing the scales appears to show a higher weight as added energy is forced onto it. To achieve this added energy in a golf shot practice the following drill.

1. Place an empty water bottle under the ball of your left foot. I suggest you remove a little air first by crushing it slightly and then tightening the lid; this way your foot is not too high off the ground.

2. Make your backswing as normal not placing any more weight on the bottle.

3. In the key move push your body weight into the bottle crushing it as much as possible, this will increase your body weight creating “Ground Force” it will also help you move your weight to your left foot in the downswing helping the quality of impact and the force in the strike.

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